what is normal? (pb'ing, sliming, eating, etc. question)

bandster_1007 · January 28, 2008

ok, so some of you have read my various rants and raves about how my band was not working for me and i had zero restriction, etc. :angry:well, that is not the case anymore. since about my 2nd fill, i have had a little restriction. well. it is winter, and i am notorious for getting colds and ear infections and having loads and loads of drainage (please remember this in my upcoming statements).

since my 3rd fill, i have pb's on an average of once every day. sometimes, several more time a day. recently i had a bout where i couldn't swallow anything, or it was coming up (except my spit). now..this is my own doing, partly, and the band's doing also.

after i had my surgery i could easily gulp a glass of Water, with no problems..i never felt any restriction ..ever...(take this from someone who could eat 4 pieces of pizza, cheese sticks, and a salad 5 weeks out from surgery:ohmy:). so WHAM..now i have restriction...and i am having a lot of trouble learning how to eat.

i have a 4th fill scheduled for this saturday because i am not quite at my sweet spot. (i can still eat more than 10 bites). my question is do you guys usually get fills even if you are already pb'ing or do you wait until it has calmed down? is pb'ing just a normal part of band life? i find that i get sick most often from fluids...i'm literally drinking like "hot coffee" all the time now..very hard to get used to that.

also, what are your tips to avoid getting to the point of pb'ing? i find that by the time i feel anything, it is too late, and i'm on the way to the bathroom. by the time i get that sensation, it's coming back up.

so...most people i think ask this question much earlier on that 3.5 months out. but i'm confused.

any tips, suggestions, are helpful.

wombat712 · January 28, 2008

I would say the biggest thing for me was slowing down on the eating. Pausing between bites for 30-60seconds to "feel" how things are going. Because I too was getting to the point of PB; as soon as I felt the feeling it was too late.

niki · January 29, 2008

If you're having problems with PB'ing I don't think you should be getting a new fill.

Are you still loosing? the only reason for getting a fill is if you're not loosing anymore and feeling you're not having any restriction.

Have you called your doctor and told him about those PB'ing episodes once a day?

niki

Daisalana · January 29, 2008

You truly do have to re-learn how to eat. Since I couldn't get filled for 6 months, I thought the little restriction I had-was it. I was trying to make myself eat smaller than I wanted to. Then when I finally did get restriction, I first thought I had too much fill. liquids went down fine (no gulping though), but no solids would go down. Slowly but surely, solids are going down, but I really really have to make sure I chew chew and take small bites. I didn't have to worry too much about that the first 6 months, so it's just a learning process.